


waiting for the sun

by shitbricks



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety, Josh is a sweetie bby, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:19:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4028311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shitbricks/pseuds/shitbricks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Uh, my name is Tyler, I play basketball and my favorite color is green…” </p><p>Tyler refused to look up, couldn’t look up, the words came out in a quiet slur of consonants and tangled vowels. He continued to stand, his thumb already picking nervously at a loose string hanging off of the frayed hem of his pants pocket.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

2:14

Tyler anxiously eyed the wall clock that hung haphazardly on a bent nail on the wall at the front of the classroom.

One minute left.

_Almost done, don’t worry, don’t worry…_

Tyler reassured himself on repeat in his head. It was only the first day and this class already gave him enough anxiety to feel bile raising in his throat, leaving an acidic sting whenever the teacher even looked in his direction.

The teacher, Mr. Gravett, was a lanky, awkward sort of man, with eyes that reminded Tyler of a buzzard. He had a cruel sense of humor, not enough to get him fired, but enough to make some kids laugh and others feel miserable.

When calling out role, every student was required to stand up and give a brief description of themselves. Tyler dreaded standing up with twenty other pairs of eyes staring him down, they didn’t need to know his business and he doubted they even cared.

Tyler shuffled up when it was his turn, the chair squeaking awkwardly as he pushed it back.

“Uh, my name is Tyler, I play basketball and my favorite color is green…”

Tyler refused to look up, couldn’t look up, the words came out in a quiet slur of consonants and tangled vowels. He continued to stand, his thumb already picking nervously at a loose string hanging off of the frayed hem of his pants pocket.  

“Thank you Mister Joseph, but next time, speak English.” Mr. Gravett said with condescending conviction, as if he was getting off on this.

Tyler’s cheeks burned feverously as small spouts of laughter emerged from different students in the class room.  Tyler sat down quickly and stared intensely at his desk, focusing on the grooves carved into the cheap wood, anything but the looming anxiety that was threatening to overwhelm him.

The rest of class went by unsurprising, a syllabus was handed out and Mr. Gravett went on an obnoxious spiel about how _he’_ s the teacher, and _we’re_ the students, and the only person that deserved respect was him. Great way to earn respect buddy, real smart.

Tyler snapped up out of his thoughts when the final bell rang, signaling every teenager in the classroom to quickly throw their syllabuses into their backpacks and practically stampede out the door, joining their friends from other classes on their way home.

Tyler worked at a moderate pace retrieving his stuff, not fast enough to join the parade of kids dying to leave, but not slow enough for Mr. Gravett to try to start conversation. There was still a few other people packing up when Tyler slung his backpack over one shoulder.

As he walked out the door a sudden hand on his shoulder made Tyler flinch away, spinning 180 degrees to confront the aggressors, probably some asshole trying to start something or Mr. Gravett attempting to have a ‘man-to-man talk about how I need to grow a pair’ or something.

To his surprise, he wasn’t met by a sneering boy that couldn’t comprehend there was a limit to how much body spray one should wear, or the pseudo-concerned look of Mr. Gravett; it was just a boy.

A very pretty, pretty boy.

“Uh, hey! We’re in the same Trig class, I don’t know if you noticed me or anything… We sit on opposite sides of the classroom… But, I saw you didn’t write down the homework and I didn’t want you to fail your first assignment!”

Tyler gaped at the boy for his entire ramble, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion the entire time, trying to keep up with the boy’s words.

“A-are you… talking to me?” Tyler stuttered out, _who the hell is this guy?_

“Um, yeah, who else?” He cocked his head to the side, quirking an eyebrow.

Tyler took a long moment to observe the boy, staying true to his first impression the boy was extraordinarily pretty, he had a puppy dog sort of look that probably melted the hearts of everyone he met, and his hair was an absolute ridiculous colorful mess.

Tyler finally snapped back to reality, realizing the boy was staring at him in silence, and they we’re still standing in Mr. Gravett’s doorway.

Shuffling out of the door way and into the hall, Tyler turned back to the boy and opened his mouth with a pop before quickly deciding against whatever he was trying to say and snapping his mouth shut again.

The boy gave him another questioning look, they were now alone in the hallway, everyone else already getting on their buses or driving home.

“We had homework?” Tyler shook his head unbelieving, he really had zoned out that entire period…

The colorful boy let out a laugh, raising a hand to his mouth,” Yeah, man, you were completely zoned out, I don’t blame you though, Mr. Gravett’s a real shit stain.”

Tyler couldn’t help the upward tug of his lips upon hearing the boy’s soft laughter, at least there was one good thing to his day.

“How’d you notice, anyway, that I didn’t write down the homework?” Tyler questioned innocently, people don’t often grace him with more than a pacing glance.

The boy shyly brushed a hand through his bright red messy hair, looking down and smirking ever so slightly.

“ Well I noticed you when you stood up and I thought you we’re really cute and stuff, and I didn’t catch what you said when you introduced yourself, so I sorta stared at you the entire class…”

Tyler’s face explodes in a redness that would put the kid’s hair to shame, the bluntness of his response was equally as flattering as it was embarrassing as hell; _what if he did something weird like pick his nose while he was looking?!_

“My name’s Josh, by the way.” He smiles at Tyler, small crinkles forming at the edges of his eyes.

“Tyler, nice to meet you Josh.” Tyler smiles to himself, staring at the dirt caked on the edge of his converse like it was the most goddamn interesting thing in the world.

“Well, Tyler, the homework is a practice review of last year’s work, and I am _absolute shit_ at Algebra 2, so, would you perhaps like to hang out at my house and help me?” Josh questioned, shrugging his shoulders, but his eyes told he knew what the answer would be.

He was right.

“Sure, you got a car?” Tyler began walking, Josh soon following in step before he gave a quick nod.

“Yep, ugly old thing, I think you’ll like it.”

Tyler sighs out a breath he feels he’s been holding in since he arrived this morning, only instead of an anxious quick breath trying to hold back a sob it was one of relief.

In the last three years of school he couldn’t maintain a single friend, other than Jenna, and he feels like this new colorful boy might be what he needs to survive his last year.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to keep steady updates :3c 
> 
> it'll get more nsfw eventually *sweats*
> 
> Also the title is a reference to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXHHASilBRw


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute, but an idiot. That was becoming the catch-phrase for Tyler’s internal description of Josh.

 Tyler couldn’t help the smirk that threatened to spread into a devious smile when the duo approached Josh’s car.

It truly was a hideous beast.

Just like it’s owner it was painted a ridiculous bright red,though the paint was peeling in various placed and the smell of rust was evident even from this far away.

“Are you sure we won’t die driving in this thing?” Tyler questioned half-jokingly, the other half warily suspicious.

“Nah, probably not, she’ll last me years!” Josh patted the hood with vigor, causing a strange liquid to ooze out onto the asphalt.

“Probably…”

Tyler side-eyed Josh for a few moments, the other boy obviously avoiding his gaze.

“Awesome.” Tyler walks to the passenger door and stares at Josh expectantly.

Josh flashed him a signature goof-ball, happy-go-lucky grin that seemed to grace his features whenever even the slightest bit of joy filled the boy.

Josh quickly stuck his keys into the lock and turned the lock with more force that should ever be necessary to open such a small lock. He scrambled in quickly to click down the lock on the passenger side allowing Tyler to hop in.

Tyler slammed the door after he was properly seated in the passenger seat. He took a few moments to take it all in: the fluffy pink dice and _at least_ four year old pine scented air freshener that hung haphazardly from the rearview mirror.  

The interior wasn’t so bad, other than the various empty skittles and m&m’s bags strewn across the floor the place was vaguely tidy.

Josh was adjusting his side mirrors briefly before shoving the keys into the ignition and giving the key a few hopeful twists, the car’s engine sputtering and coughing until the sixth twist the poor old engine roared to life and nearly caused Tyler to jump out of his seat at the sudden loud noise.

He didn’t like loud noises.

“Sorry, should’ve warned you.” Josh rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before putting the car into reverse and backing out of his space in the lot.

Tyler quickly snapped his seatbelt into the latch with no effort at all.

That was a lie, the seatbelt was dead set on strangling him and the belt got wrapped around his arms went into a cobra death choke before Tyler could untangle himself and properly holster the belt.

Josh watched with amusement from the driver’s seat, briefly shooting Tyler a questioning glance to see if an ambulance needed to be called to bring the Jaws of Life to free the poor boy from the belt prison.

Once the belt situation was settled Tyler sighed and scratched his cheek with embarrassment, _he’s been in the guy’s car for three minutes and he’s already making a fool of himself, typical._

Suddenly Tyler perked up and gave Josh an utterly confused and horrified look.

“What? Suddenly noticed you’re in a car with almost a complete stranger and realized I could actually be a horrible murderer trying to harvest your organs?” Josh asked innocently, quirking a smile at the boy who still held a dead serious expression despite the light hearted joke.

“Why aren’t you wearing a seatbelt?!” Tyler questioned with a borderline upset tone in his voice.

“Uh, I don’t like wearing seatbelts?” Josh offered, scrunching up his eyebrows and letting off a confused laugh.

“You could _die_! Or get _arrested_! _Or die and get arrested_!” Tyler practically wailed.

Car safety was no laughing in the Joseph household, apparently.

“Live fast, die young!” Josh joked but Tyler wasn’t having it, he looked out the passenger window grumpily, trying not to let Josh notice his worried sideways glances.

“Fine, fine.” Josh rolled his eyes and quickly buckled his seatbelt at the next stoplight they approached.

“That better?” Josh held up his arms questioningly for Tyler to notice his now superb driving safety precautions.

“Much, now I won’t lose my study buddy on the first day.” Tyler huffed, exchanging a look with Josh that he didn’t know how to interpret.

He really was cute.

An idiot, but cute.

They drove for another five minutes or so in silence, only the subtle hum of the radio as background noise to break the calm lull.

Josh was the one to break the silence.

“I never did catch what you said in Trig.”

“Hm?” Tyler responded, voice cracking embarrassingly, torn out of his day dream contemplating how Josh’s lips would feel pressed against his, or how his hair would smell curled up in bed together.

“Wow, nice voice crack, and I said I never caught how you introduced yourself in class.” Josh coasted casually through a stop sign.

Cute, but an idiot. That was becoming the catch-phrase for Tyler’s internal description of Josh.

Tyler awkwardly scratched at the hole in his jeans, a nervous habit that started the hole in his pants in the first place.

“I said my name was Tyler Joseph, I like to play basketball, and my favorite color is green, nothing special.”

Josh hummed thoughtfully,” I wouldn’t say that.”

Tyler flushed, turning his head to the right and pulling at the hood of his jacket to hide his face from the other boy.

“I…never caught yours either, too busy zoning out.” Tyler mumbled, brain a bit fuzzy and cheeks warm from Josh’s words.

“Oh, my name is Josh Dun, I play the drums, and my favorite color is pink.”

“Pink?  I would have guessed red, don’t know why…” Tyler said sarcastically, staring at Josh’s garishly colored hair.

“Yeah, yeah, you and the rest of the class. I just haven’t picked that color out yet.” Josh shrugged.

“Picked it out?” Tyler questioned.

“How I do it is I take starbursts, skittles, and M&M’s, I mix ‘em all up in a jar, close my eyes, and pick one out and there you have it, my next hair color.” Josh explained like that was a completely normal thing to do.

“Hm, I like it, very original. But what do you do with the huge bowel of candy then?” Tyler asked innocently, that seemed like a LOT of candy.

“I eat it all by myself.” Josh announced proudly, truly a candy-eating master if there ever was one.

“You’re a nerd.” Tyler giggled, his heart felt light around Josh, lighter than it has for a long time.

“I’m a nerd?! You’re the one all uptight about my seatbelt like I was going to launch out of the car if I braked too hard!” Josh laughed along with him, completely drowning out the music. Josh had a loud, unashamed laugh compared to Tyler, who quietly giggled and squeaked behind a hand or simply shook from laughter because he was too nervous to let out a noise.

Josh nodded to a street up ahead,” We’re almost there, its right up ahead to the right.”

Tyler felt his stomach boil over with excitement, he was going to a cute boy’s house to study, and that cute boy also thought he was cute, miraculously. He was also nervous, _was it really going to be studying? Would Josh try to hit on him? Would he try to kiss him? What if Tyler accidently hit him in the eye with his nose and he went blind and—Tyler took a steadying breath, he was definitely getting worked up about nothing._

Despite getting a grip on his torrent of anxiety inducing thoughts, his stomach rose and fell like an ocean getting tossed about like a storm. He was really going out on a limb doing this, he rarely left the house, unless with Jenna or his family, the people he trusted.

He trusts Josh, mostly.

They pulled into a driveway and Josh put the car in park.

_Oh God, please don’t let me fuck up._

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit sorry it took so long to update I spent 4 weeks living in the Minnesota wilderness pooping in holes n shit it was great, good to be back though! Lots of new story ideas and an itch to write. 
> 
> Hopefully NOW i'll have more frequent updates <3
> 
> thank you all for the kudos and comments on this story, it means a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to keep steady updates :3c 
> 
> it'll get more nsfw eventually *sweats*
> 
> Also the title is a reference to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXHHASilBRw


End file.
